A primary mission of the Department of Justice in support of the U.S. national security strategy is combating international terrorism and other forms of transnational crime (e.g., trafficking in persons, organized crime, public corruption, money laundering, narcotics, cyber crime, and intellectual property violations). To accomplish this mission we must have effective partners abroad.

The fundamental interests of the United States are also served by the promotion of democracy and regional stability, and the establishment of rule of law overseas. To attain these goals we must help develop effective foreign law enforcement and justice sector institutions.

Attorneys are needed to serve as legal advisors in the following two general areas:

In the U.S. Embassy - supports the offices of the Rule of Law Coordinator and
Justice Attaché

Outside the Embassy - serves on a Provencial Reconstruction Team (PRT)

Attorney Advisors in the Embassy

Office of the Rule of Law Coordinator (OROLC) - the Ambassador charged the office with providing leadership to the Embassy’s Rule of Law mission, including legal and law enforcement efforts by the Departments of Justice, State, Homeland Security, and Defense. The office is responsible for representing the United States in bilateral engagements with the Government of Iraq on law enforcement and judicial matters and coordinates with the Criminal Division’s International Criminal Investigation Training Assistance Programs (ICITAP) managed corrections advisory program, which provides policy guidance and training to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners and detainees.

Attorneys assigned to the OROLC will be involved with capacity building and should expect to handle a variety of topics. These include: Criminal Law/Counterterrorism, Detention/Corrections, Civil/Commercial law, Access to Justice, and Anti-Corruption. In addition, attorneys serve as liaisons with civilian and military counterparts in Strategic Planning; Regional/Provincial Coordination; Government of Iraq and International Donor Outreach; and the Iraqi High Tribunal, Refugees, and Internally Displaced Persons.

Office of the Justice Attaché -- The Justice Attaché serves as liaison to the Iraqi courts on case related matters and coordinates DOJ law enforcement including: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Attorneys in this office work closely with the FBI-led Major Crimes Task Force, which guides and mentors Iraqi investigators on terrorism, public corruption, money laundering, and other high profile cases.

Resident Legal Advisors

The Resident Legal Advisor will represent the Department of Justice and OPDAT during the implementation phases of a Justice Sector Assistance Program. The program has been designed to foster United States Government interests through the establishment of a functioning criminal justice system in Iraq. While in Iraq, the Resident Legal Advisor will work closely with indigenous justice sector officials in one of Iraq’s provincial government centers. Duties will include providing technical assistance and advice to the Iraqi courts hearing serious criminal cases and creating and providing skills development assistance on a broad range of criminal law and procedure to Iraqi judges, prosecutors, and judicial investigators.

Qualifications:

Possess a J.D. degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice.

Have at least four or five years of post J.D. experience to be qualified at the GS-14 or 15 level.

Non-attorney positions are available at the Embassy in Baghdad, as well as Main Justice in Washington DC.

U.S. Embassy in Baghdad

Administrative and legal support is needed to support the Offices of the Rule of Law Coordinator and Justice Attaché located in the Embassy. Non-attorney positions include: Chief of Staff, Program Analysts, Paralegals, and Administrative Specialists.

Chief of Staff

The Chief of Staff (COS) serves as the primary administrative manager and advisor to the Rule of Law Coordinator and other rule of law components heads in Iraq, and responsible for comprehensive support coordination with Embassy offices, both civilian and military, and the DOJ Rule of Law Office in Washington, DC. Duties will include managerial and administrative requirements related to personnel, travel, and procurement. The COS is also responsible for organizing and leading the staff in response to the goals and priorities established by the ROLC and those mandated by the Embassy.

Program Analysts

Program Analysts (PAs) serve as liaison to the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT) Resident Legal Advisors (RLAs) assigned to the different Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and provide support in various ways, e.g, locating funding sources for programs, supplies, equipments, etc; assist with travel plans; offer guidance on OPDAT policies and procedures; and ensure uniformity amongst all the PRTs. PAs assist the ROL management team with various projects; conduct analysis of current operations and recommend alternatives; and publish periodicals highlighting achievements by the rule of law components at the Embassy and throughout the provinces.

Paralegals

Paralegals/Paralegal Assistants are usually assigned to support the Office of the Justice Attaché. Duties include supporting the various training programs provided to the Iraqi investigators; assisting with investigations, such as escorting witnesses onto the Embassy compound, ensuring translators are available, etc; and escorting attorneys to court.

Administrative Specialists

Administrative Specialists support the offices of the ROLC and the Justice Attaché and serves as the liaison with the administrative staff in Washington, DC. Duties include processing all travel-related matters, such as travel authorizations, reimbursement vouchers, monthly per diems vouchers, etc. Additionally, Administrative Specialists work closely with other Embassy personnel to obtain necessary services by the staff, such as billeting, badges, guest passes, furniture, equipment, supplies, etc.

Main Justice, Washington, DC

Administrative and legal support is needed to support the Office of the Rule of Law in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General located in the Robert F. Kennedy Building in Washington, DC. These positions include: Executive Officer, Programs Analysts and Administrative Assistants.

Executive Officer

The Executive Officer (EO) supports the Rule of Law Counselor in Washington, DC, as well as the Offices of the ROLC and Justice Attaché at the Embassy in Baghdad. Duties include: overseeing the recruiting, staffing and processing of personnel for Iraq including senior positions in the rule of law cluster; providing administrative oversight/and policy coordination within DOJ including pay, travel, benefits, and HR issues with respect to those deployed and returning; serving as the liaison with DOJ components regarding funding and budgetary needs: and, advising management on various administrative matters.

Administrative Specialists

Administrative Specialists support the ROL staff with traditional office tasks, e.g., copying, filing, running errands, etc., In addition, Administrative Specialists work closely with staff involved with the deployment process, as well as procurement and contract-related matters.

Program Analysts

Program Analysts (PAs) will work with the OPDAT RLA, who are attorneys, and assist with program implementation plans and financial resources tracking documents that are a framework for the Criminal Division’s foreign criminal justice development assistance activities. The PAs other major duties include assisting in the management and with the administrative and logistical aspects regarding the implementation of technical assistance and skills development programs; helping manage and evaluate existing assistance programs for financial soundness; and compiling data and statistics for measuring results and impacts and for performance-based reporting. These positions are located with OPDAT in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

The Department of Justice's Criminal Division oversees the Senior Federal Prosecutors Program in Kabul, Afghanistan. The program is designed to provide advice and assistance in development of criminal laws and procedures for Afghanistan. It also provides for the training, mentoring and guidance to the Criminal Justice Task Force (CJTF). The CJTF is a team of prosecutors and police investigators responsible for the investigation and prosecution of high and mid-level narcotics and narcotics-related (such as corruption, money laundering, and violent crime) offenses before the Central Narcotics Tribunal (CNT) in Kabul. The CNT has exclusive nationwide jurisdiction for all major narcotics and narcotics-related cases. Under the program, federal prosecutors also provide operational advice and assistance to the U.S. law enforcement agencies posted in Afghanistan.